INDIANA – Northwest Indiana builders perform better in construction safety and project excellence than the rest of the nation. At the recent Construction Awards Banquet, that notion was on full display as many of the region’s top builders earned recognition for their outstanding performances across many incredible projects.
The awards were presented by the Northwest Indiana Business RoundTable (NWIBRT) and the Construction Advancement Foundation (CAF), who jointly hold their annual awards celebrations. Representatives from NIPSCO, U.S. Steel, Cargill, and many more leading companies, were in attendance.
Awards were given for excellence in safety standards, innovation, and development in the construction industry for a variety of projects, contractors, and companies. Past winners have included some of the largest construction investments in Indiana history.
“As an industry, Northwest Indiana construction has been evolving rapidly. Builders are consistently facing new challenges with a determination to succeed, and we’re proud of them,” said Dewey Pearman, executive director of CAF.
“Many companies seized every opportunity they could last year, and we’re proud of what they’ve accomplished. Companies took a hard look at their safety protocols and found ways to make the necessary adjustments, while still coming up with new ways to keep people protected from construction hazards,” said NWIBRT Safety Committee Chair and Cargill Health & Safety Manager Rick A. Foor.
2020 NWIBRT Safety Award Recipients Contractor of the Year
Contractor of the Year:
Company of the Year:
Owner Excellence in Leadership:
Innovation Award:
Outstanding Craft Persons Safety Leader Award:
- Brian Mielczarek, Barton Malow
- Jason Hatch, BMWC Constructors Inc.
- Jason Hayes, Cargill
- Mitchel Porter, Cargill
- Jim Jones, CORE Construction
- Drago Popovic, DLZ Industrial
- Laura Asher, Fluor Constructors
- Dan Marin, Graycor
- Kevin Cooper, Korellis Roofing, Inc.
- Lance Fuller, Milestone Contractors, L.P.
- Dane Yagelski, Milestone Contractors, L.P.
- Tobias Sepulveda, Petrochem Insulation, Inc.
- Jesse Johnson, Sargent Electric Company
- Jeff Miller, Sargent Electric Company
- John Tuskan, Sargent Electric Company
- Blaine Brooks, SEI Solutions LLC
- Bryan Towner, Solid Platforms Inc.
- Paul Armstrong, Superior Construction
- Mike Klemp, Superior Construction
- John Webber, The Pangere Corp.
- Dennis Nowaczyk, Tonn & Blank Construction
- Chris Baccino, Valdes Engineering Company
Certificates of Appreciation:
- Rick Foor, Cargill, Incorporated – Hammond
- Patrick Johnson, Pekron Consulting Inc.
- Jim Arendas, Construction Advancement Foundation
- Kaley Kostelnik, Total Safety U.S., Inc.
- Scott DelRio, Brock Industrial Services
- Brian Fordon, Valdes Engineering Company
- Pete Engelbert, K2 Industrial Services, Inc.
- Shoji Nakayama, Purdue University Northwest
Recognition Award:
- Continental Electric Company
- EMCOR Hyre Electric Company of IN.
- Executive Construction Inc.
- Hasse Construction Company, Inc.
- M.J. Electric, LLC
- Morrison Construction Co.
2021 CAF Award Winners
Contractor of the Year:
- Commercial Contractor of the Year: The Pangere Corporation
- Industrial Contractor of the Year: Hasse Construction Co. Inc.
- Specialty Contractor of the Year: Hampton Ironworks, Inc.
- Professional and Engineering Services Contractor of the Year: DLZ Industrial, LLC
- Highway Contractor of the Year: Superior Construction Co., Inc.
Project of the Year:
- Industrial/Capital Project of the Year: Hasse Construction Co. Inc., NIPSCO Black Start
- Commercial Project of the Year: Tonn & Blank Construction, LLC, Franciscan Beacon Hospital
- Public Works Project of the Year: Berglund Construction, Purdue University Northwest
- Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building
Excellence in Professional Development Award:
- Jon Gilmore, President and CEO of Tonn & Blank Construction, LLC
About NWIBRT: NWIBRT is an independent, non-profit council of local firms committed to the improvement of construction and maintenance projects in Northwest Indiana.
About CAF: The Construction Advancement Foundation of Northwest Indiana, Inc. is a regional construction industry trade association with over 500 affiliated contractor companies.
